Iran Claims One Of Kerman Suicide Bombers Was A Tajik

Iran's Ministry of Intelligence released a statement on the Kerman twin blasts, claiming that one of the alleged suicide bombers held Tajikistani nationality.

In the statement released Friday evening, the ministry claims that it has arrested 11 people in six provinces who involved in the attack.

The Islamic State group claimed more than 24 hours after the bombing that two of its suicide bombers had detonated explosives that killed around 90 people earlier this week. However, it is not possible to verify the claim, with the Iranian government usually issuing contradictory and incomplete information.

The ministry also claimed that the security apparatus had found out about the role of the Islamic States terrorist group in the bombings right after the attack was carried out.

“The first operation to arrest the terrorists' supporters took place on the evening of the incident, and the residence used by the two terrorists was identified the next morning, leading to the arrest of two support elements,” read the statement. Later operations led to the arrest of nine suspects connected to the terrorist team in six provinces.

About 90 people were killed and 284 injured on Wednesday as two explosions targeted a commemorative event for Qasem Soleimani, the late commander of the IRGC's Quds Force.

Also on Friday, US intelligence apparatus confirmed that Islamic State's Afghanistan branch was behind the blasts. Communications intercepts collected by the US confirmed that ISIS-K carried out the bombings, two sources familiar with the intelligence told Reuters. "The intelligence is clear-cut and indisputable," one source said.

The main perpetrator of a similar attack on Shahcheragh, a funerary monument and mosque in Shiraz that was the site of a similar attack about a year ago, was also a citizen of Tajikistan, identified as Rahmatullah Nowruzov.